you and me are the lucky ones this time
by Mr. Typo
Summary: Lives unlived, memories not made. A series of drabbles about the Kaidanovskys and the lives they might have led.
1. Child

"All right ma'am, ready…..and push!" Sasha Kaidanovsky growled and gripped the sides of her bed like she was throttling a bear. Which she had only done once in her life and had been an exhilarating experience.

This, however, was not.

"You're doing great ma'am keep going." Sasha was close to ripping the head off of the nurse but settled for concentrating her efforts on the child about to enter this world. She could feel it

"Ma'am, you are doing so well. Keep going, you're almost there!"

Заткнись!" Sasha shouted, pushing as hard as she could. Sweat dripped down her forehead and her hands were beginning to tremble from holding on. She panted and gasped.

"Where is my husband?" she screamed. She wasn't sure if the nurse knew Russian, but she neede Aleksis _now _so she wasn't wasting time. The blond nurse nodded and brought a towel to her forehead to blot the sweat.

"Find her husband," she said to one of the orderlies. "She's close."

At the moment, as if divine intervention had taken place, Aleksis barged through the door, carrying a small cup of ice chips.

"I am here, Sasha!" He took a seat by the bed and she gripped his hand like a vice. He used his free hand to push the hair out of her eyes.

"I could feel you calling me," he said. _Of course_, she thought briefly. The Drift had connected them in ways she still didn't find possible.

She drew in heaving breaths, pushing with everything she had left. Her husband was here. Aleksis was here and

"I can see the baby!" the nurse yelled, as she moved to the edge of the bed.

Aleksis gripped her hand tighter.

"You can do it, Sasha. You are strongest woman I know." She let her husband's words wash over her and exerted one final, intense push.

"I got the baby!" the nurse shouted. Sasha collapsed in relief, the voices around her growing fainter and fainter as she allowed herself to relax.

The child was a girl.

7 pounds, 8 ounces, with soft light brown hair like her father. Sasha smiled as she watched Aleksis hold their child.

_Their _child. Sasha had never imagined herself a married woman, let alone one with a child. She had never thought she would find someone who could match her, who she could call an equal.

That was before Aleksis, before the only man who could keep up with her in any way. The only man who never made her feel trapped. She had never been a romantic, but she knew they belonged together.

"What will we name her?" Aleksis asked, breaking the silence. Sasha sat up to see her daughter better.

"She needs a warrior's name. Something strong, like us." They pondered for a moment, while the child slept peacefully.

"Viktoriya," Sasha and Aleksis said simultaneously. The two smiled at each other, then at their lovely daughter. She would do them proud, they could both feel it.

In time, she could become as legendary as he parents.


	2. Survival

The ocean was a harsh mistress.

Sasha was even harsher.

She clawed her way onto the beach, the waves dragging her back with every movement she made. Her muscles ached and the armor was only aiding the water's attempts to drown her.

But Sasha was not one to be defeated by the forces of nature. She finally managed to secure herself upon the sand, finally free from the ocean's deathly grip.

Her forehead was pressed to the ground, harsh breaths drawn out to suck in as much oxygen as possible.

She should not be alive.

Aleksis crossed her mind and her fist clenched involuntarily. There was no certainty he had made it.

The attacks from both of the kaiju was enough to destroy her beloved Cherno Alpha and send them plunging into the unforgiving waters. Sasha knew that if she had not broken from the conn-pod in time, that she would have certainly drowned.

But she had. She had pulled herself free and fought, fought with the fire she carried deep within herself. The ocean would not have her.

And so, it didn't. Sasha was alive and on a beach, presumably somewhere in near China. But the waves had pulled at her for what felt like centuries, so she could not be certain. She was alive. That was all she knew and the simple fact kept repeating inside her head like a mantra.

It was broken by the thought of her husband.

Sasha finally lifted her heavy, heavy, head off of the beach, eyes red-rimmed. He was not beside her. She had not seen him since Cherno Alpha went under. There was little hope he was alive.

She felt the tears slip away, against her will. Her husband had died a warrior's death, in the midst of battle. That was nothing to cry over. But she did anyway.

Then she heard it. The strong, slapping sound of a body hitting the ground. It was the sound she made when she pulled onto land.

Despite her body screaming in agony, she slowly turned to her right and saw Aleksis struggle against the current, bringing himself to shore. His wet hair obscured his vision, but he carried on all the same.

The sight was enough to undo her. Tears flowed even faster, mixing with the saltwater that dried on her face.

When Aleksis finally brought his entire body out of the ocean, he was beside her. He raised one hand to bring the hair out of his eyes and was met with the visage of his wife.

His own tears started to fall. They were both alive. It shouldn't be possible, but the two weren't going to question the circumstances of their survival.

She reached a trembling arm out to him and he met her halfway.

They didn't say anything. There was no need to. Alive and together, that said enough.

They held hands against the silence, which was only broken by the lapping of the waves and their intakes of breath.


	3. Fairytales

They are not meant for fairytales.

Born in blood, forged in fire. The Kaidanovskys are made of legend. Their stature and souls seemed carved from the gods themselves.

No, they are not for fairytales. No princesses, enchantments, or happy endings.

They will never find a happy ending; it was never meant for them.

Because they are legends. And legends always die bloody.


	4. Another Life

In another life, they aren't pilots.

They aren't even married.

But this is the first night they meet.

She is a brawler, taking on Russia's finest for any sum. Because it's not the money, never the money. It's about the blood and the fight and proving a point. The year is 1904 and they keep saying that women's voices don't exist.

Sasha doesn't care. She has no need of societal conventions when her fists speak louder than her voice.

Cigarette dangling from her lips, she is in the corner, gambling away the winnings she won not even an hour ago. It doesn't matter; she'll earn double it tomorrow. Someone was always looking for a fight.

Just like the man who walked right into the bar.

Sasha knows his type; big, burly, impressive to most. She has knocked down men twice his size.

He approaches her, wiping remnants of snow from his oak brown hair. He asks her if she fights.

The grin she gives is feral, one that speaks volumes on the person she is.

They fight. Sasha wins.

And as she leans over him, having pinned his burly body to the unforgiving ground of the bar, he smiles.

Blood runs from his nose like a river, dripping across his mouth as he breathes out his name. Aleksis. She laughs. They are one and the same it seems. Like fate reached out a guiding hand to bring them together.

But Sasha doesn't believe in fate.

He asks her if she fights for a cause, if she is a revolutionary. Her gaze is judging. He is a Bolshevik. Politics is not the game she plays; not enough violence for her taste.

He continues and tells her that they could use a woman like her, a woman that can best any man. A woman that could best a czar.

Aleksis is not like any man she has met or will ever meet. Sasha knows that she has found someone she never hoped to find.

She drags him in for a kiss, filthy, tasting the blood she drew and the smoke from her lungs.

It is the beginning of a love story. One that ends with gunfire and bloody bodies falling on the snow. Two revolutionaries that fought for a cause, but died for each other.


	5. Amnesia

Aleksis has been in the medical bay for almost a week now. Every available moment Sasha has is spent by his side.

Through some miracle of God (Sasha always scoffs at this) they both managed to survive the attack. Their beloved Cherno Alpha has become a relic of the sea, but the Kaidanovskys will live to fight another day.

Hopefully.

Because even though they both made it back physically, a few things were still lost at sea.

Sasha entered the med bay, with Aleksis smiling upon her arrival. The smile is too open, too trusting. Not a smile her husband would ever have.

"You are very kind to visit me every day. I am lucky to have beautiful woman like you visit me. Your husband must be jealous."

Sasha swallows the lump in her throat and smiles at him anyway. He's seated in one of the beds, lounged above the covers with a

She holds up the object in her hand.

"I have new book to read." He smiles wider and nods, gesturing towards the seat beside him. She takes the seat and starts to read to him.

He's always completely attentive to her and sometimes, if she's lucky, he'll adopt a certain look on his face that is reminiscent of her Aleksis. Sometimes she wonders if he There are small traces, hints of the man he was. But it never stays.

Every day she tries to help him remember, but under the doctor's orders, she can't strain his mind too much. He needs to remember on his own, she's told, but waiting is difficult.

Sasha has never been a patient woman.

But for Aleksis, she tries to be.

She's finished reading for the day and gets up to leave for a meeting. As she turns to leave, Aleksis stops her.

"Thank you for visiting me. I am sure my wife will find me soon and you will not have to be stuck here." The smile he gives her is lopsided and reassuring.

Her grip on the book is tight enough leave indents.

She smiles tightly, tears gathering behind her eyes.

"I am sure she will Aleksis." And she leaves, not allowing herself to look back.

Nothing seems to help him remember her.

But she will not give up until he does.


	6. Memorial

The statue stands tall and proud in Vladivostok.

It stands where the old Shatterdome used to, which the Russian government tore apart.

Over 30 years have passed since the Breach was closed and the Kaiju have more or less faded from memory.

But the world preserves its heroes.

So the Kaidanovskys stand, tall and proud, for the world to see and remember. The memorial created as a reminder that Russia can birth the strongest of heroes.

They are visited often.

Mostly it's by those who remember the Kaiju attacks. Who know that monsters do exist. They pay their respects, knowing that these were real heroes. The ones who ended the living nightmares.

Some of these people were personally affected by the Kaidanovskys and Cherno Alpha. Their homes and families spared because a married couple fought back against the darkness.

But everyone who visits, regardless of the reason, knows that they are looking at two heroes. Two of Russia's people that will forever have their names engraved in history. That stories, legends, and lessons will be made in their name.

And, like most heroes, they never lived to see it happen.


	7. Lifetimes

They could have spent lifetimes together.

Just the two of them. Coming together, like two missing pieces of a puzzle.

And when they're in the Drift, they feel endless. There's a reason the two of them are on record for holding the longest neural handshake.

They are connected in ways that people couldn't believe. People say the word _soulmates. _That _they _are _soulmates _destined to be together, in any lifetime.

Sasha likes to believe that she has more control over her destiny than that.

But given the option, she would choose Aleksis every time.

It's more than love, loyalty, or drift compatibility. They are _one._

Where one starts, the other begins.

Sasha and Aleksis. It would never matter which is which.

They are a matched set and in any infinite number of lifetimes, they both know that they could never be without each other. Everything is done as_one._

Even death.


	8. Kwoon

Aleksis grunts as he hits the floor again.

Sasha stands over him, smirking.

"That is 2-1. I thought you were in shape," she said, stepping back, bo staff still in hand.

He gets up and grabs his staff. Aleksis never gave in. Especially against Sasha.

That was one of the things she liked most about him.

They face each other again and Aleksis focuses his energy. It has been a while since they've sparred together, but with the apocalypse bearing down, now is as good a time as any.

Sasha lunges and Aleksis rises to block her attack. He pushes a little, teasing, trying to show he can still fight. She smirks.

He returns the smirk and gathers his strength. Then the fight begins.

They push back and forth against each other, testing limits and matching moves. Fluidity is key and despite his size, Aleksis can be graceful.

The staffs make harsh, violent sounds as they meet each other again and again. It doesn't take long for the score to even itself.

It ends in a draw. Their sparring matches usually do; their drift compatibility is legendary for a reason.

Aleksis watches as Sasha breathes deep and wipes the sweat out of her eyes. She chuckles.

"I guess you had not gone "soft" like I thought." She's teasing; Aleksis knows that she has complete faith in him and his abilities. The only one who ever has.

He grunts as she pulls him in for a kiss and as he feels it deepen, he pulls himself away.

"We should move this to the bedroom, yes?" While the Kwoon was empty at the moment, it still didn't lend itself to privacy and they both knew what would happen if that kiss continued.

Sasha raises an eyebrow.

"Will you have strength left for the bedroom?" She's coy, goading him into a challenge.

Aleksis narrows his eyes.

Challenge accepted.


	9. Jealousy

The Kaidanovskys inspired jealousy wherever they went.

Whether it was because of their fighting skills, their celebrity fame, their incredible drift compatibility, or their near perfect relationship, people always found something to be jealous of.

And rightfully so, Aleksis thought as he noticed the glares and mournful looks directed their way as the two passed through the mess hall. There were a scant few who sent lustful looks at them.

Aleksis smirked. There were no secrets between him and Sasha and they had taken many different lovers together. Things were always interesting when there were three in the bedroom. And the Kaidanovksy threesomes were legendary.

Another thing to be jealous of.

They scanned the crowd for any of the comrades, but the only person they spotted that looked familiar was Tendo Choi.

He was on speaking terms with them and had assisted their technicians with Cherno Alpha many times. The man was good company and treated them like normal people. He was very refreshing.

The entire room seemed to hold its collective breath as made their way towards the chief tech officer. He nodded at their presence, but barely looked up from the datapad he was studying.

"Does that ever bother you?" he asked,

"Does 'what' ever bother us?" Sasha asked, a hint of ice in her tone. Tendo vaguely gestured to the mess hall, without looking up.

"Them. Everyone staring at you. Like they wish they were you or with you."

Sasha smirked.

"Who would not want to be us?" she shrugged. "I do not mind. Besides," her smirk turned wicked. "It brings many interesting people to our bed." She shared a smile with Aleksis, who nodded.

"Uh-huh, that's nice." By this point, Tendo had completely tuned them out in favor of whatever he was reading on his datapad. Sasha raised an eyebrow, but after a moment, the wicked grin reappeared on her face.

"Actually, Tendo, we were wondering," she turned to Aleksis and winked, "if you would be interested in joining us this evening." Aleksis snickered

"Hmmm, yeah sure, whatever, I'm probably free this evening," Tendo responded.

"Absolutely not!"

An irate Hercules Hansen had seemingly appeared out of nowhere, his yell reverberating throughout the mess hall. Everyone turned to look at him, wondering what on earth had happened to upset the Australian.

He fixed the Kaidanovksys with a murderous glare. The two of them met his gaze, with Aleksis folding his arms and Sasha lifting her chin in warning.

"Oh hey, babe," said Tendo, completely lost to the world.

"You!" Herc shouted. He grabbed the pad forcibly from Tendo, who responded with 'hey!"

Sasha and Aleksis looked upon the scene with interest, trying not to laugh.

"You're comin' with me. You are most definitely NOT free this evenin'. Or in this lifetime!" Herc said. Tendo, who had finally returned to reality,

"No need to be jealous, Hansen. You know you're the only one for me," Tendo said, teasing Herc as he did so.

The Australian narrowed his eyes.

"Why don't you prove it to me?" he asked, the phrase not really a question.

"Whatever you say." Tendo turned to wink at the Kaidanovskys. The marshal looked like he was going to pop a vein as he pulled the technician from the table.

Herc walked past them, dragging Tendo out of the mess hall, muttering "Damn Russians" under his breath. Sasha and Aleksis grinned at each other and bumped their fists together.

Everyone, including the "unshakable" Hercules Hansen, was jealous of them.

As they should be.


	10. Friends

Sasha and Aleksis Kaidanovskys didn't have very many friends.

In truth, they did not mind, if only because they felt like they didn't anyone except each other. And in their line of work, forming attachments often ended badly.

Maybe it was because the end of the world was upon them and every moment seemed precious. Maybe it was because they were the resistance and they all had something strong in common.

Either way, for the first time in their lives, the Kaidanovskys found themselves making friends.

It started small, with casual conversations in the mess hall. Sharing battle stories helped to create a sense of camaraderie with others.

But it started to grow. They would practice fighting with Herc Hansen in the Kwoon, someone whose physical and emotional strength they grew to respect. The Weir Triplets, despite having awful taste in music, were excellent at telling jokes and provoking laughter.

Mako Mori, the marshal's young daughter, was incredibly passionate and sharp as steel. Sasha saw some of herself in the Japanese woman and the two had frequent conversations on Jaegers and drifting. Mostly Sasha telling stories of the glory days of Cherno Alpha and Mako listening in rapture.

She hoped that Mako would have the opportunity to pilot a Jaeger; the girl would do wonders. And when Raleigh Becket came and brought his drift compatibility with him, Sasha knew that Mako would have her turn at being a legend.

Chuck Hansen was young and angry, having lost so much far before he should have had to. He didn't allow anyone else near him, his heart hardened so much. The Kaidanovskys sympathized with him from afar. He would have to learn he couldn't yell at or beat every problem he faced, but that was not a lesson they could teach him.

When they met the resident scientists, the Russian pilots were amused by the constant bickering. Reminded them of their sparring matches, exchanging one harsh blow for an even harsher one. But their intelligence, especially when combined, was remarkable to behold.

Aleksis was surprisingly intuitive and told Sasha that Hermann and Newton would learn to like each other. Or at least work together. Eventually.

So without meaning to, the Russians bonded with these unique and interesting people. It didn't seem quite possible, but the world was ending. All bets were off.

And they found solace in these people that they only thought existed in each other. They felt closeness and something akin to trust for them, knowing that they would be fighting alongside each other and could die together.

Sasha and Aleksis started to think that they if they were going to die, it was going to be among friends. And that was a death they never could have imagined.

When they went out into the battle against the Category 4 Kaiju, they were unafraid, knowing that their friends would fight with them,

They didn't know that none of them will come back. That this battle would be their last, the death they had foretold.

The first friends the Kaidanovskys made were also their last.


End file.
